Research and Course Guides: Children's and Young Adult Literature: Authors & Illustrators

People Behind the Books

From L. Frank Baum, to Laura Ingalls Wilder (below), to J.K. Rowling, Kate DiCamillo, and writers just getting started; authors and illustrators are interesting people. Use the resources on this page to learn more about your favorite children's or young adult author or illustrator.

TeachingBooks.net

This is a five-star resource! TeachingBooks.net provides a wealth of multimedia resources on K-12 books and authors or illustrators that can be used to support reading activities for all grades and content areas. If you are on campus, use this quick search box to begin exploring these resources. If you are off campus, use the link in the next column for best access.

Introduction

Try these online or print resources when you are looking for biographical information about an author. The online resources also may have reviews or criticism of their works.

Online

Gale Literature: Something About The Author Online
This resource includes biographical profiles of the lives and work of well-known and emerging authors and illustrators for children and young adults. Entries include personal information, list of awards and honors, list of writings or illustrated works, adaptations, background information about major works, biographical and critical resources, and if the person is deseased, references for obituaries.
TeachingBooks
This resources is a diverse online collection of multimedia K-12 book and author/illustrator resources to help teachers integrate books and literacy throughout their curriculum. It is a very useful collection of resources for the new teacher or teachers changing subjects/grades.
Gale Literature Resource Center
Literature Resource Center provides access to biographies, bibliographies, and critical analyses of authors from every age and literary discipline. Combining Gale Group's core literary databases in a single online service, the Literature Resource Center covers more than 120,000 novelists, poets, essayists, journalists, and other writers, with in-depth coverage of 2,500 of the most-studied authors
Gale Literature Criticism
Centuries of analysis - scholarly and popular commentary from broadsheets, pamphlets, encyclopedias, books and periodicals - delivered in an easy-to-use 24/7 online format that matches the exact look and feel of the print originals.

Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature
Biographical information and topical articles related to children's literature (ex. graphic novels, book awards, etc.). Biographical entries have links to UST holdings of the author's works, but these don't work very well. Make sure you are searching for a book title if you try to follow these.

Print Resources

All of these titles are in the reference section in Keffer Library. Click on the title for the call number.

The Coretta Scott King Awards, 1970-2014
Call Number: Keffer Ref Z 1037 A2 C67 2015
The Coretta Scott King Awards: 1970-2014 celebrates the 45th anniversary of this award. This unique volume not only celebrates the award and the African-American community, but is a valuable selection tool for libraries and a teaching resource for the classroom.
Black Authors and Illustrators of Books for Children and Young Adults
Call Number: Keffer Ref PN1009.A1 M87 2007
Picture Books by Latino Writers
Call Number: Keffer Ref Z1037 .Y66 2002
Children's and Young Adult Literature by Latino Writers
Call Number: Keffer Ref PS153.H56 Y67 2002
Children's and Young Adult Literature by Native Americans
Call Number: Keffer Ref Z1229.I52 Y67 2003
Poetry People; A Practical Guide to Children's Poets
Call Number: Keffer Ref PS309.C48 V37 2007
This book provides a comprehensive introduction to more than 60 contemporary young people's poets including brief biographical information, their books, awards, etc.
The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature
Call Number: E-book, username and password required
Brief information on authors/illustrators mostly.

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Trent Brager

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More Author Information

In addition to TeachingBooks.net, these are other good databases to try when you need information about an author. Use the links in the center column to connect.